Fade Away
by Jadis
Summary: chapter 03 & 04 update** haruko and rukawa hold hands for the first time... we also meet some new characters..
1. 01: meet gwen

Fade Away

Chapter 01:  Meet Gwen

~Jadis

Gwen.  No last name.  Just… Gwen. Well, maybe Wennie, but no existing real last name.

            Eyebrow Gwen?  Eyelash Gwen?  What about Fartknocker Gwen? 

            Haha, doesn't matter…

             Gwen no last name … it was just easier to fade away that way.

            So let's start over.

            Gwen.  Gwen inhaled deeply.  She finally made it.  She made it to Kanagawa.  Kanagawa seemed friendly, just like her dad told her it would be.  Gwen shifted the weight of her bag to the other shoulder and got off the train.

            _Dad.  I finally made it to your homeroom.  It's going to be great.  I just know it._

            The weather was fair – okay … slightly chilly but no need for a sweater or anything.  She continued to walk along the railroad when she came to a park.  The park was empty; it was just the wet trees, grass, playground, tennis court, and, parallel to a residential street, a basketball court. 

            _Oh yeah, Shohoku would have a basketball team also.  How come dad never told me about Shohoku's basketball team? _

            She looked at her watch; she still had plenty of time.  Gwen made her way to take a peep at the tennis courts but was distracted when she heard sounds of dribbling.  Gwen had always thought about actually learning how to dribble down the court without tripping for her dad to see when he came back – it was hard… the scars on her knees, the near concussions on her head … nothing compared to the pain it brought to her heart to see a basketball.  

She smiled when she pictured her actually playing basketball.  She rolled her eyes upwards.  

"Glad I chose tennis," 

She got close to the gate and breathlessly watched a tall athlete gracefully run fly up in the air to guide the basketball into the hoop.  He was like a crane with his white skin and black hair.  

Gwen moved towards the open section of the gate and entwined her fingers onto one side of the gate.  Unknowingly, she wiped a tear away from her rosy cheeks.  She usually kept her emotions to herself, but watching this one person swim through the air brought back all the great times she had and could have had with her dad.  

The basketball rolled towards her, in the midst of her gawking.  The tall figure slowly paced towards her.  Gwen held out the ball with a smile.  The cheeks of her heart shaped face pulled back to unearth sleek lines for dimples on the each side of her cherry lips that capturing the explosive rays of positive energy.

"Here, I-" The tall figure snatched the ball from her hands without a thank you.  She immediately pursed her lips, deepening those dimples, in irritation.  Gwen saw the name _Rukawa Kaede_ printed on his shirt.

_Hmm, Kaede…that's pretty…_

Rukawa didn't even bother to look at her twice but to continue playing basketball.  Steam radiated from Gwen's nostrils.

Rukawa jumped up to guide the ball in when he felt a slight weight on his knee.  When he looked to see what it was, he saw a smaller shadow that did not belong to him.

_Huh?_

The shadow, still in mid air, awkwardly threw the ball towards the hoop.  

_What in the world?_ Thought Rukawa.

Rukawa landed first and turned to see a composed landing softly – right foot and then left.  As composed as the landing may be – the basketball ruined the perfect portrait by ricocheting off the rim and smacking her on the back of her head.  There was a loud _ttuong~! _ when it hit the top portion of her head – again rebounding .. miraculously back into the hoop to make a rather odd, nothing by swish.

"DAH!!"  Gwen grabbed at the back of her head and jumping up and down.  She slowly backed away, thinking to save the dignity that she left.  Gwen made it back to the entrance … only to trip backwards on her travel back.  She tumbled backwards, landing in a small puddle from the rain _hopefully_ last night.  Gwen winced and slowly got up.  

She peeped up at Rukawa with one eye while furiously rubbing her shoulder and head at the same time.  

Sympathy?  No way~!  He wasn't even looking!!  He was focused on his game once more.

Gwen felt a sudden burst of anger (perhaps her shame fueled the anger more) burning, itching at her lips.  

"WHY DON'T YOU TAKE FIVE MINUTES OUT OF YOUR PATHETIC LIFE AND PRACTICE SOME MANNERS YOU SHI-"

_TONG…TONG..FLAP~FLAP_~ (noise of shirt in the air) … _SWISH!_

Rukawa checked the ball to himself again and began the cycle over again.  

"It wouldn't hurt…" said Gwen in a much _much_ lower voice.  The thing with Gwen was this: she has moments _brief_ moments of adrenaline plus passion which equals a short two-second time frame of LOUDNESS – and then when those two-seconds were over… it was over – boy… just like that.

Gwen turned  around just as her pathetic eyebrows drooped down.  Pride.  Yes, pride was all she had left!!  So…  ahem…  _SO~  _She turned around and gave him the most oddest-looking insult… a nose flare.  She throbbed her nostrils like a horse.  

Rukawa, having caught sight of this, missed his fade away shot.  The ball bounced off the rim and landed on his face like a fly swatter.  He awkwardly landed on the ground and grabbed at his face.  

"Ah ~_ HA_!!!  How's that?  Well~, I've decided that I'm not going to like you, Rukawa _Kaede_," She pulled her bag to her shoulder.  Her voice was dripping with venom.  "Basketball is not all talent … it's heart too!"

Rukawa pulled his hands away from his face just as Gwen made her graceful excite out of the courts. 

First he looked back  to see the last strands of black hair follow the girl out of the court, then, he looked back at his hands – they were shaking like a caffeine addict's hands.  He balled them up into fists and opened them again; they were still shaking.  

Rukawa looked up once more at the entrance.  It was empty.

His hands immediately stopped shaking.


	2. 02: the hand and the hit list 101

** I do not own the characters of Slam Dunk.  The story line and the minimal characters that are present in the 'Fade Away' project belong to me**

Fade Away

Chapter 02:  The Hand and the Hit List

~Jadis

            "Rukawa Kaede?  Rukawa Kaede!!  RUKAWA KAEDE!!"  

            There was complete silence in the classroom of thirty students; all except the thirty-first student.  He was snoring softly in the background.  

            A blood vein popped out of the teacher's forehead.  He reminded himself to keep his composure and decided to go on to other names.  

            "Eh… lemme see … Kaede Gwen?"

            There was an instant murmur of female voices.

            "…_Kaede_?"

            "…_Kaede_?"

            The teacher looked up from his roll sheet. 

            "Kaede Gwen!  She isn't here?"  

            At that moment, the classroom slammed open.  All thirty-one, including the teacher, turned to see none other than a new face.  

            "Are you.. eh… Kaede G-wen?"

            "Yes sir," the new face sprang a fresh smile that cooed the teacher's temper and wooed the classmates' woes.  

            "Take whichever seat that is open and make sure that you aren't late anymore.  I don't tolerate any-"  There was another loud snore from the background.  Gwen pursed her lips to hide her giggle.  

            "Thank you, sir."

            She looked around for a seat that was open and sat down.  It was the nearest to the back door and directly to the left of a sleeping giant.  While she was looking downwards at her book bag to get out her supplies, everyone in the classroom, except for the snorer was looking at her.  All eyes wandered elsewhere when her eyes were set back on the chalkboard.  Gwen felt a rush of goosebumps race through her spine as she received the mixed signals of the room.  Gwen immediately shook off the feeling and settled in.

            The class took its course very slowly and painfully.  Gwen began to understand why the classmate next to her would fall asleep so soundly.  Gwen peered over her right arm to see who it would be.  They guy, as if on cue, turned his head towards Gwen.  

            Gwen froze.  It was the one and only Rukawa Kaede that she encountered a week ago at the park.  

            "What a coincidence.  Luck or curse?" whispered Gwen.  She yawned twice and focused back on her work.  

            The noise was silent at first … and then it was a like a … light drumming of fingers.  Gwen peeped over to Rukawa's hand to see it shaking on it's own.  She frowned in concern.  She extended her hand to calm his hand when his eyes burst open.  

            Gwen cocked her head to peer eye to eye at Rukawa.  

            "Too much caffeine is bad for you," whispered Gwen while she gently touched hand to calm it down.  

            Rukawa looked at Gwen with inquisitively eyes.  

            "So.."  Gwen looked back at the chalkboard.  Noticing that a few girls were constantly looking back to where she sat, Gwen opened her mouth really wide and at an angel, stuck her tongue out, opened her eyes really wide, and flared her nostrils.  The girls, having seen this, immediately turned the other way.  

            ".. what did you think?  Yup, it's a gift,"  Gwen self-effacingly smiled, showing her charming dimples.

            Rukawa balled up his hand into a fist and stood up.  His chair shot out from his knees and crashed down on the wooden floor.  Now, including the teacher, the entire classroom looked at Rukawa.  

            "I'm sleepy.  I'm going to sleep in the library."

            "Wha-wha-wha-" the teacher only stuttered as he watched the famous Rukawa Kaede leave the classroom, hands clenched tightly together, like he was the king. 

* * * * *

Lunch …

            "So, have you been in touch with Sakuragi during the summer?"

            "Of course!  He told me that his back was getting better.  Hearing him say that he need some more time … I guess he _really_ needs the time to recuperate."  Haruko sighed over her delectable lunch of rice, egg rolls, and spinach.  "I just hope that we can recruit enough players before our team makes any commitments."  Haruko popped a miniature egg roll into her mouth as she looked at the new names of the talents.  "We have lots of freshmen names.  Plus, Rukawa is coming back.  There was a slight tinge of red gathering on her cheeks.  "We'll use this off-season to rest, train, and train."  

            "Haruko!  Get with the program.  Looks like your going to have some competition this year.  Did you hear about the new girl in school?" asked one of her new freshman new comers as he passed by Haruko's classroom.  

            "Hey, Kane!  Really?  No, I haven't."

            "I think her name was _Kaede_ Gwen.  She even has his first name as his last name.  Pretty strange, eh?"  Kane's brown eyes began to twinkle like a diamond.  She's in room 3-5.  Doesn't look too good for her though, she's on the hit-list."

            "What for?" asked Haruko.  The hit-list was a list of hits, girls or guys that don't seem to quite fit in or just flat out doesn't impress a certain person, that one time or another that day – they would be bossed around or beat up.  

            "And you call yourself a Rukawa fan!"

            "I'm not!"

            "Yeah… well, something like, she touched his hand or something like that.  I'll see you at practice, manager Haruko."

            The two friends that were sitting by Haruko flinched.  

            "Haruko, I'm telling you… you took too long~  come on, we'll finish our lunch and go to class 3-5 and check this girl out.  We'll tell her a piece of our minds and go home – rest since it's Saturday!!"  The friend, seeing Haruko finish her last egg roll, pulled Haruko to room 3-5.

            Classroom 3-5 was almost empty except for a three girls crowding around the desk nearest to the back door.  

            "Girls, do you know who this Kaede Gwen is?"

            "She's got off earlier than us.  That wench!  Touching Rukawa's hand like that.  She'll pay!!" screeched a girl with long pigtails.  

            Haruko gloomily looked down at the ground.

            "She'll what?" called out a new voice.  Haruko's ear's pricked at the amazingly fresh voice behind her.  Haruko turned to the most incredible smile.  It automatically brought joy to her face as well.  The next thing that Haruko picked up on was how warm her gray colored eyes were.  Her black hair was tossed up in a messy but edgy bun.  In fact, the girl was a head taller than Haruko –all supported by a slim and toned body.  Slung loosely across was her bulky red colored tennis bag; Haruko observed that despite what this girl looked like, by the looks of her bag, she wasn't as prim and proper as she seems.  Which is good – this girl wasn't about playing around with what's in or 'I'm the center of the universe!' crap… she was about playing hard, her rewards were given with each bead of sweat that drops.  Just like basketball…

            Haruko slightly shook her head.  She felt the slight skip of her heart and heat on her cheeks.  

            "Oh look~ it's the new girl." Whined the girl with the pigtails.

            "Yes, I'm the new girl and?" Haruko noticed such a confidence that she would never have in the new girl's voice.  

            The pigtail girl opened her mouth to say something… but nothing came out – instead, she turned to leave when the new girl called her back.

            "Oh, and San, I didn't touch his hand.  He has some habit with caffeine, that's all.  If you want to_ touch_ his hand then do it.  No one is stopping you.  Oh wait, maybe the _hit-list _is?"  

            Haruko broke out in a smile as the pigtail girl stalked out of the room.

            "I'm Haruko,"  Haruko extended her hand out to the new girl.

            "Thanks, I'm Gwen.  I thought I would drop dead if I kept that up any longer!"  Gwen began to fan herself.  Haruko even noticed the redness that spread into Gwen's dimple.  "Nice to meet you!  Well, I'm so sorry for just leaving but.. I need to get to the tennis courts ten minutes ago and everyone seems to be giving me the wrong directions."

            "Tennis courts?  They are right next to the basketball courts.  I'm going there right now!  Come with me,"

            "Thank you so much.  You are the first person in this whole school to really talk to me.  I don't understand why everyone is giving me the evil eye.  I mean, I'm used to the cold shoulder but.."

            "It's because you and Ru-"  Her friend was just starting when Haruko nudged her into the ribs.

            "So are you a tennis player?"

            "Nah, just trying out."

            "Ah, I see.  You see there?  Across the field, there.  Do you see the gym?  You know, our basketball team is really something."

            Gwen giggled rapidly.  "I know…, my dad used to go here."

* * * * *


	3. 03: meet the navy man

Chapter 03: Meet the Navy Man

~Jadis

            Haruko didn't want to share Gwen with anyone.  

On the path toward the tennis courts, they made small talk about this and that… and Haruko couldn't help but to be pulled in by Gwen's mysterious black hole.  What was it about her?  By the time that they arrived at the gap between the basketball gym and the tennis courts, Gwen agreed with Haruko's new nickname for her.. Wennie.

"I think the tennis girls aren't here yet, why don't you come in the gym?  I'll show you how proud I am of our team!"  

"But I-"  Haruko grabbed Gwen's arm and pulled her into the gym.

"This is my friend Kaede Gwen!" shouted Haruko.  Her crisp voice echoed through the sultry gym atmosphere.  "Gwen, this is hopefully the future Shohoku team members!"  

Gwen smiled brightly to acknowledge everyone.  More and more people gathered around, but the thundering shout called everyone back to practice.  It was Mitsui.

"Hey!  What's all this?  Practice!!" shouted Mitsui.  No one dared to talk – and that was how Mitsui wanted it to be.  He wanted respect and this was his only sign that he was getting any.

His repsect came to a halt when someone giggled behind him.

"Who dares laugh at the grandmaster!!"

"I-I was just …_ puhahaha**hahahah**_ …. Grandmaster?  **_Hahahah_**!"  Gwen had to hold onto Haruko for support.  Haruko nervously poked at Gwen to stop, but  Gwen just couldn't seem to contain her laughter.

"Oh~ What do we have here now?  Tennis girl?"  Mitsui used his height and looked down on her as a form of intimidation, but the gal refused to play along.

"I'm sorry ~ I-I … _ha_~ you're not trying to intimidate me, are you?  Because it's not working.  Try something else and I might just be able to give you the _grandmaster_ _respect_ that you demand.  _Hahahahah_~!" 

Mitsui immediately took to the girl.  She had confidence and a sense of humor.  There was something about her that pulled Mitsui to her.  It wasn't a randomn love but somehting deeper… Mitsui took her as a younger sister then and there.  Mitsui's rough countenance softened into a tender smile.  

"I'm Mitsui."

Gwen quit her insane laughter and brought out her right hand.  "Gwen, Kaede Gwen."  Gwen shook his hand while dropping her enormous tennis bag onto the floor.  

"Hey, I heard about you~ the new hit list girl, right?"  it was Ryota.  

"I'll be right back.  I need to give the _never give up _speech to the new comers," said Haruko.

Gwen's concentration was back on the courts where the new comers were on one side of the court practicing and the other players were on the other side of the court practicing as well.  One player who seemed to be the tallest caught her eye.  

"Wait a minute… _peh_ .. Rukawa Kaede is on the team?" shouted Gwen.  

"Yes, young sapling.  You must know him really well to be on the hit list," teased Mitsui.

"N-no, I mean yes … I mean not really," said Gwen.  It was a small world after all, thought Gwen with a small grin.  "I mean **_NO_**~!" shouted Gwen.  She stood up with rage.  People like him couldn't play basketball!

"Calm down, young sapling!  Actually he's our number two – after me that is,"

Gwen watched as Rukawa effortlessly moseyed around the returning players with ease to play a simple point, one after another.  Rukawa's black hair dripped with sweat – but it wasn't sweat that he gained with hard work … it was just sweat from exercise.  Gwen watched with her hands clenched as Rukawa never passed nor have any concern for the other members.  Her father was never like this.  He cared about everyone and still he was the best.  He did his best…

"…he's not challegened.." whispered Gwen.  Gwen grunted as she put her tennis bag on her shoulders again.  "Mitsui, can you tell Haruko that I'm going to practice.  Come if you'd like~"  

Gwen saw Haruko and Mitsui waved from the other side of the gym.  She sighed and was about to head for the door when she saw Rukawa dribble back to set himself for a three pointer.  

"You punk!" Gwen put her fingers up and in the direction of Rukawa.  She squinted her eyes and gave her fingers a twinkle.  "_Miss~~ miss ~~_"  

Right before release, Rukawa caught sight of Gwen riduluously twirling her fingers at him.  

… it wasn't long before his hand began to shake again.

_Shit.  How long is this going to go on?_

The ball was in the air.. soaring… soaring… so- eh… hitting on of the gym windows on the second floor seats for the audience.  

"**_WaaaAaaAaAAaa~ HAHAHAHAHAHAH_**, IT WORKS~!!!" 

Other than her, there was dead silence.  Rukawa miss?

            Feeling satisfied, Gwen cleared her throat and left the building.__

* * * * *

            Haruko was sitting  in between two bushes, adjacent to the basketball courts for almost seven hours.  The neighborhood park was desolate … at two in the morning.  

Of course, _duh_ …it's always empty two in the morning…  

She was tired of the cold weather… wait… yeah… her left leg has officially fallen asleep..

            "..for the team..for the team.." chanted Haruko.

            It was hard to find new players because the Shohoku students were afraid to be on a team that really… grew famous over night.  Perhaps the commitment was too great…

            Mitsui… hearing a rumor that the other day, there was somehting great that would help the team found on the very court that Haruko was spying on.  That very thing … whatever it was… better be there … seven hours… 

            _I don't even sleep seven hours!!!_

            At first she thought it was the noise of a cat scratching against the bushes, but was in for a surprise when she turned around.

            "RUKAWA!" shouted Haruko.  "Wh-What are you doing here?"

            Haruko's legs final decided to give in when her dream was squatting so close to her.

            "Ah!" Haruko wailed her arms out to grab onto something .. it was Rukawa that lent her his hand.    Her small hand fit perfectly into his large hand.  They had a moment when they  met eye to eye.  

"…ah…"  As if on cue, Haruko's face turned like a beet.  She turned her eyes away before her head would explode.  

            Rukawa sqeezed her hand to pull her upright.

            _Ah… so this is what his hand feels like.  Lucky, Wennie._

            "Th-th-thanks… Rukawa… favorite shirt… eh…don't want to … eh favorite shirt…" 

            Rukawa, making sure that she wouldn't fall back down again, let her hand go.  Rukawa looked at his hands to check if they were shaking or not.

            _No… it's not her either… then what the hell is it?…_

            "I..I…I … I heard that  you got a lot of offers from colleges… con..congradulations,"

            Rukawa merely shrugged.  "How's Sakuragi?"

            Haruko felt like her heart just jumped out, ran around Earth twice, and leaped back into her heart again.

            _Ah, I can't believe that he's talking to me!_  

            "H….He…He's doing much better.." answered Haruko.  Her heart raced faster like a speeding locomotive.  There wasn't an answer so she looked back to find that Rukawa had gone.

            _Eh.  He's gone?_

            Feeling extremely foolish, she took a couple of unstable breaths and looked back at the courts, and gasped.  A person was in mid air – a slam dunk.

            There was a certain silence that was difficult to describe… The person landed on the gym floor softly.  Haruko's mouth dropped when she saw how … how… the moonlight glistened the sweat on upper body… his wonderfully chiseled body…  he was so tall … his chest was like the Pacific Ocean … his grace was like a dragon curling for it's final blow … his charm was like the knight in shining armor… er.. in shining no armor …

            There was a certain silence that was difficult to describe.  The man softly landed on the ground.  He grabbed the basketball and walked towards the bench, just before where Haruko was standing, and picked up a discarded gray shirt.  He wiped his sweat with his shirt and slung it over his shoulder. 

            _Navy? _

 He sighed as he brought his water bottle up to his lips to drink vicariously.  

            The man pulled up a medium sized duffle bag to his shoulder, ruffled his short and unkempt (making him all the more ruggedly handsome) hair to sprinkle the beads of sweat off.  Then, he tossed the empty bottle into the trash can…

            _Wait.. the way he's walking… maybe he's really in the Navy. … wow, navy man…_

            He was about to exit when he saw someone block his exit – it was Rukawa twirling his ball impatienly in front of the gate.

            Haruko remained silent.  The ring of the slam dunk still sizzled in her heart.  The navy man tried to leave but Rukawa refused to move.  The second time, the navy man brushed past Rukawa's shoulder wihtout a second look.  

            Rukawa did not speak a word or move.  The navy man was much much more built than him… intimidation?

            "…Rukawa.."  Haruko smiled suddenly, and almost leaped with joy, if it weren't for her legs – legs that had fallen asleep.  HE would be the knew Shohoku member, perhaps the next new ace.

            Haruko was about to leave when she saw Rukawa was finally moving up and down the courts.  He stopped twirling the ball and began dribbling.  He began to run up and down the courts until the ball and he were one.  He looked up at the court and to his surprise, the image of the navy man was guarding him.  He went once to the left – fake.. another to the right.. fake?? No, he made an 180 to the right and headed for the basket.  He jumped in the air as the image jumped as well.

            "Rukawa.."

            Rukawa dunked the ball hard and quicker than usual.  He handed hard onto the park court.  The navy guy's image was still there, expressionless, just as he left.  Usually, he would never hurry … he would always take all the time he needed for perfection.

            Haruko quickly hid into another bush when Rukawa came out of the court.  Rukawa prepared to get on his bike.

            Haruko thought it was nothing at first… but it was apparent when he tried to lace his basketball into his back.  His right hand was shaking like it was dunked in poison.  Was that what Gwen meant about caffeine?

            _No way… caffeine… but he was fine at practice.._

It slowly hit her then.. Haruko couldn't help but to smile..for the first time… it wasn't her .. it was him..

"Rukawa … he's … he's nervous.." 

* * * * *

            It was the same night.  

The night was the longest for him.  

            He missed her … 

            He wished her to go…

            … but it wasn't true…

            … he didn't want her to go… 

            … he wanted her to be with him, forever…

            … but he let her go…

            He still had his shirt off when he entered his rented apartment.  

            Someone was waiting for him… just as he expected… he sensed her when he was on the front porch of the apartment building.

            He turned on the lights to his place to reveal who it was.

           "Penelle, what are you doing here?"  He stood firmly in the doorway.  His legs were firmly spread apart - looking as daunting  without even trying.

            The woman standing in front of him was bare.  Penelle had long wavy skyblue hair.  She radiated beauty – her perfectly cut jawline, pearly white skin, gleaming red eyes, elongated ears, full chest, slim waist, long legs… what any man would want…

            … but this man did not want her… that is why she wanted him…

            "Ah, Mattnoma.  Must we start off this way?  Why…"  Penelle purred as she walked towards him.  Penelle slide his shirt off his shoulder and slipped it over her head.  It was a bit big, but Penelle was delighted with the smell that bloomed off the shirt – Mattnoma's scent.

"…it's been so long."

            "Get the hell out of here.  I'm not in the mood to play your games.  I'm here on business."  He slammed the door and tossed his bag across the living room.  

            "Business… here?  Of all places, 'he' sends you to Kanagawa …"  Penelle wrapped her arms from behind him.  She pulled her closer to him.  She loved the way he felt in her arms…

            "It's none for you to be concerned with."

            "Oh but it is…"  Her hands began to slowly move downwards.  "Think of it, Mattnoma…Kanagawa~ the same place where Gwendell happens to be at the moment.. And it is none for me to be concerned with?"

            Penelle felt his muscles tense.  "Now, what kind of buisness might this be, hmm?"

            "Get the hell out before I toss you out!"  Mattnoma stalked to the door and almost ripped it open. 

            "Ouch, still the same temper and arrogance.. _tsk tsk_…"  Parnell walked with a pretty gait towards the  door.  "… You're looking for the missing _jewel _are you not?"

            Mattnoma gave her a murderous stare.

            "Hey, what else could it be?  You coming for Gwendell?  That's outrageous~!  Didn't you erase her memory… ah yes, I remember… happy memories, isn't that right my dear lord?"  Parnell gave out a lusty snicker.  She advanced to the otherside of the doorway.  "For her sake? Against Haru?  Well, at least I was the last to see that pathetic-"    

            Mattnoma, without a second thought, slammed the door on her face.  

_It wasn't true…_

_… he didn't want her to go…_

_… no one was to touch her because she belonged to him…_

_… he wanted her to be with him, forever…_

_… but he had let her go…_

            With the door closed, he could not none other than to be engulfed by darkness… his light was taked away from him…  
 


	4. 04: six in the morning

Chapter 04: Six in the Morning

~Jadis

It was six in the morning … Saturday morning … Ryonan morning.

            Haruko was too nervous to sleep.  She literally jumped out of bed a whole ten minutes before her alarm clock would ring.

            She pulled on her gym shorts and sweater with a wonderful smile.

            "… a light jog … a run around the neighborhood and I'll be good enough to shower before class," murmured Haruko.  She pulled her light Saturday load backpack, then gym bag, making sure to add her school uniform.  Softly creeping into the kitchen, Haruko checked the clock to make sure that it really was six o'clock.  

"Yep… six… juuuust to make sure," whispered Haruko.  

It was only yesterday that Haruko… since the basketball team was on a break, despite training, had most of her time free, promised to help Gwen train for her tennis try outs.  Haruko, never really worked out before, decided to jog in the morning to get at least the use of her legs back.  

_Don't worry, I'm pretty sure there's a lot of running involved in basketball too, right?  You'll be fine, Miss Haruko Manager~_ she told her.  Haruko sighed.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

She grabbed a used water bottle and filled it up with cold barley tea.  The water bottle was thrown into the bag while tying her brown length hair back.  

"Here goes~"  Haruko opened the front door to her house, inhaled the wonderful morning air, and began to jog towards the park.

            It was only a couple nights ago when she was standing next to Rukawa in the bushes, next to the basketball courts.  Haruko's pink face turned bright red when she began to think of the possibilities of 'what might have happened.'  

            After stretching, Haruko took out a basketball from her gym bag and began to run up and down the court, dribbling the basketball with ease and control.  Haruko began to sing a popular song that she heard on the song the other night.  Not having paid attention to the lyrics, the eclectic notes of her vocal cords merged with the uniform beats of her basketball.  

            She ran up for a lay up when she spotted him.

            He waved at her with his right hand… his large right hand.

            "I'm Haru.  I heard you were recruiting.  I hear this is where-"

            When she woke up, Haruko was in the Shohoku's nurse's office – she had run into the pole, knocking herself out.  

Author's corner:

Sorry for never updating… I'm getting there… long writer's block ^____^  Thanks to E.J. reminding me… I almost forgot~ Thanks…

Sorry for the short chapter…promise it will brew up!

Oh and what do you guys think about tennis… I know more about tennis… maybe a hint that the games will be more tennis? … hint?? Dunno!!  

Thanks?? YEAH THANKS!! sEE Ya~


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